After Life
by I.F.T.S
Summary: Artemis died in his final showdown with Opal, much to the devastation of his family and fairy friends. Of course, his brilliant plan at resurrection works (when has one of his plans not succeeded?), but something's off... And it's definitely something no one saw coming. Possible HollyxArtemis in later chapters.
1. IQ Doesn't Matter when You're Dead

**Okay...I shouldn't be posting this...I've already got six (seven?) other stories ongoing...but everyone else seems to have a story about the end of _TLG_, and I figured 'why not add my own opinion?' So here it is! Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING (You'll get as tired as I am of seeing this soon. Guarantee it.)**

To an ignorant observer, the land of Fowl Manor looks peaceful. The perfectly manicured lawn and the strategically placed shrubbery draws a pleasant feeling from those that visit; with the exception of the oddity of The Rose Bush. The staff has often commented on the plant, one even going as far as to offer to remove it.

That did not go over well with the owners, and to those that witnessed the poor soul's firing and subsequent removal from the premises whisper that the personal guard that acts like a butler took great pleasure in literally kicking him out the door.

From then on no one else dared to even speak of The Bush in the presence of their employers. But gossiping in hushed tones behind closed doors and hands is a different matter.

The tale of The Roses differs, depending on which section of the hired you ask. The favored rumor of the maids is that The Plant is some form of curse, seeing as it never sheds its leaves and blooms year-round. The kitchen prefers that it's actually a blessing; keeping the Mansion beautiful and bringing good fortune. The people that actually care for the yard state with the utmost certainty that The Flowers attract mythical beings, ranging from dwarves to elves to pixies.

What they don't know is their wild stories aren't that far from the truth. When combined.

* * *

A long line of darkly-clad figures slowly trudges up the hill, yet only two of the possible hundred partake in the carrying of a medium-sized coffin. Walking steadily behind the box is a group of four: a man that can't be older than forty who holds his head high, not trying to hide the tears streaming down his face; a woman with a thick veil covering her face as her shoulders shake with restrained sobs; and two boys: one blonde and one with hair as dark as his midnight suit. The latter of the two seems to sense the severity of the situation, frowning often and keeping his head downcast while the former glances around with wide blue eyes and a gaping mouth.

One specter stands well away from the masses though, seemingly fine with being ignored. His cobalt eyes follow the trail of the casket, never blinking as the burly man holding the front sets it down and moves to stand behind the foursome with the other bearer. A priest steps up to the podium, opening with a solemn welcome to this funeral, how tragic and sudden the ending of this young life is.

A steady wind ruffles his raven colored hair, drowning out a part of the Father's speech. Not that the loner really cares, if he _did_ stress about the body now being displayed he would've chosen a closer spot.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

The boy ignores the sympathy; the only recognition he gives to the voice is the crossing of his arms. From the corner of his eye he watches as a heavily impregnated brunet steps forward to stand equal with him. Her height is an entire head taller than him, barefoot nonetheless. Her dark green eyes flicker in his direction, and she smiles slightly as she clasps her browned hands.

"You must be Duna," he finally says, eyes still locked on the burial ahead.

Her smile intensifies. "You've done your research, Mr. Fowl."

He smirks. "Of course I have, and Mr. Fowl is my father's title."

"Then what shall I know you by?"

"You very well know what you can call me."

"Tsk, tsk; didn't your mum teach you your manners?"

The man turns his head to stare at the woman. "My mother would be quite pleased with the way I'm handling myself right now, considering I'm facing my murderer."

Duna sighs. "You do understand that I apologized at the beginning for a reason?"

"The attempt at amends was duly noted. But just because I acknowledged it doesn't mean I accept it."

"And I don't expect you to. Though you should know that your present…_condition_ is only possible because I allowed it."

"And I'm grateful to you. But I'm not prepared to forgive you for ripping apart my family."

The goddess sighs. "Again, I don't expect you to. Besides, you plan on returning to them soon, yes?"

The man's shoulders slump in a rare show of uncertainty. His azure eyes slip closed as he barely whispers, "I'm not so sure that's going to work anymore."

The Mother of all inclines her head. "And why do you say that? It's practically your motto that your plans—"

"Never fail," he finishes, releasing a breath. "But there is an unforeseen complication. One that may prove too big to overcome."

"And that is?"

"My memory. I can feel it fading; my earliest recollections becoming less and less clear by the hour. In the time it takes for my…friends to create the vassal I need, my entire personality could be erased and I won't be able to hold up my end of the scheme."

Duna nods slowly, eyes empty of all emotion. "Do you know _why_ this is happening?"

He chuckles lightly. "Of course. I am a free-floating being now, connected to the earth in ways even _I_ haven't imagined. Without something to anchor me, _protect_ me, this new reality will slowly chip away at my soul until I become part of the spiritual make-up of the world."

The brunet's eyes flash gold, surprised. "Hmm, you actually figured it out. You did it faster than I thought you would," she adds, seeing him open his mouth to reply indignantly.

He snorts. "That should've been a-given; I had the highest I.Q on more than one continent for a reason."

Duna tilts her head, shrugging slightly. "True, but the level of your intelligence won't be of much use here. Though it certainly helps, what you really need is resilience."

A dark eyebrow arches. "And you don't think I have plenty of that?"

Her laugh echoes around the silent grounds, more beautiful than any wind chime.

"My dear Artemis, it is one of the things you have in spades!"

**TT . TT **

**Love it? Hate it? Want to watch it burn? Think I'm insane? Plz let me know!**


	2. Everyone Needs Help Sometimes

**Okay, so a lot of you were a bit confused on where Duna come from. Duna is the Earth God that was mentioned in ****_TLG; _****the fairy's 'Armageddon'. I did a bit of research and found that she is actually an Irish ****_Goddess,_**** and is indeed called the 'Mother of the Fairies'. If you want more information, just Google her name and many informative websites will pop up. Also, these first couple chapters are about that six month period that Artemis was dead. Hope that made things easier to understand! Oh, and I want to include some A/H.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own...well, literally it would take to long to list but figuratively; nothing is mine.**

The weeks following the funeral passed without incident; for both the living and the unseen. The two boys—_Myles and Beckett,_ Artemis constantly reminds himself—often play outside in the beautiful spring weather. The blond woman, _Juliet,_ always watches over them with eyes sharper than a hawk's, and more than once the dead heir swears that she's seen him. Sometimes a graceful brunet joins the children—_Angeline, mother, mum. Angeline, mother, mum_—and a ready smile always lights her face. She often tends to His Rose Bush, and Artemis finds he doesn't mind it. As long as she continues to gently weed and caress His Flowers, he shall keep the thorns from pricking her delicate fingers.

The large man—_Butler__, Butler, Butler!—_comes out only at certain points in the day, normally accompanying the graying owner. Ironically enough, this man's name is the first he forgets, even though they share it.

* * *

He looks out over the lake silently, half watching the family lazily swimming and half wound up in his own thoughts. His suit jacket lies folded on the ground next to him and his sleeves are rolled up to the elbows, even though he can't really feel the warmth of the midday sun. Come to think of it, he can't even recall what exactly it feels like. He idly wonders when that memory slipped through his fingers.

The hairs on the back of his neck suddenly rise, but he doesn't react; knowing that whoever it is will either not see him or just carry on with their business.

Thus it comes as a surprise when a visibly pregnant woman with deep brown hair down to her knees sits beside him, her silk green-blue dress pooling around her like a glimmering liquid. Her tan face calls upon an echo of someone he once knew, though hazel eyes replace the emerald ones before him.

She smiles gently. "Beautiful day, isn't it Artemis?"

Ah, so that's what he was looking for earlier; his name. So _that's _how it sounds…

"Indeed it is," he replies, mismatched eyes returning to the scene playing out just down the hill. "Duna," he adds, placing her name as well.

"So you _do _remember me."

"Yes, somehow manage to stay solid in my mind."

"Are you accusing me of something?" she asks playfully as the wind tugs at her hair. Artemis' lies flat; unmoving.

"No, of course not. It only makes sense that you, being the one that put me here, should never be pushed into the shadows of forgetfulness."

Her eyes flicker a light shade of blue as she contemplates his answer. "Hmm…Good enough, I'll accept that. But next time I won't be so forgiving."

A bubble of laughter bursts from his mouth before he can stop it. "Isn't that the same thing you said last time?"

She chuckles along with him. "Looks like it is. But this time I mean it!"

"Oh? You sound just like a mother would; scolding a disobedient child."

"Technically, I am." Her sage eyes burn into his, and he glances down at the silver watch that adorns his writs.

"Tell me something," he says suddenly, still refusing to meet her gaze. "How much time has passed?"

"Since the last time you asked or…?"

"As a whole."

"It really is getting worse," she mutters. "Four months, two weeks and six days."

Artemis sighs, letting himself fall backwards to stretch out on the grass without a sound. "Just a few more days; two weeks at the most and it should be done." He closes his eyes and brings his hands up to pillow his head. "Then this nightmare will be over and I don't have to stress anymore."

"It really is tiring, isn't it? Holding on to memories that continue to fade, despite your best efforts."

"You have _no_ idea."

"But I do," Duna whispers, stroking his cheek. He stiffens, unused to contact, but slowly relaxes as her hand drifts into his obsidian locks. Shifting so that his head instead rests on her lap, she continues to run her fingers along his scalp. "You may not know it, but I can see, can _feel_, the pain you go through. You didn't start out as my son, and you probably won't like this, but I _do_ consider myself your mother. You can reject me if you wish, I'll understand, but I just want you to know I'm here for you."

Silence surrounds them, deafening them until finally Artemis replies.

"Thank you," he chokes out, an unfamiliar (or is it just forgotten?) feeling filling his chest.

She leans down, pressing a kiss to his pale forehead as she murmurs. "Anything for you."

* * *

Three figures, all astoundingly different from each other, stride together across the dewed grass and stop beside His Bush.

_I wonder what they want._ He thinks amusedly. The largest one—he's also not really a stranger, as he's _always_ at the mansion—lightly lays a heavy-looking pod next to His Plant. The half-horse man says something to him and the littlest snaps something at both of them. The centaur lifts the lid and hefts something—_someone_ out of it.

He drifts closer, mostly out of curiosity and fear for His Roses. Lucky for them, the auburn one pushes aside the stems softly enough that it doesn't hurt and places the body inside.

_Are they hiding a dead man…in my blossoms?_

Shaking his head, he peers through the leaves at the face of the corpse.

No, not a corpse. It's a…copy? Wait, clone? Yes, that's the word; that's what the body is! But of who?

Leaning closer, he studies it again. It—_he_ is quite pale, which makes his black hair look darker. His eyes are closed, so eye color is indistinguishable.

"Darling, what are you doing?"

He turns to smile slightly at the brunet behind him. "Duna, they put a clone in my Bush."

"Really?" her eyes adopt a golden hue. "Why would they do that?"

"I…" he trails off, frowning. "I don't know…but I _should_. I used to think about this; there was something important I had to do…something only_ I_ accomplish…"

He stands, pacing furiously in front of the Goddess.

"What was it; _what_ _was it?_" he clenches his teeth, forcing himself to calm. "Damn it, this can't wait! It has to be done _now_! There won't be another chance if…come on, _think_!"

"Sweetie, maybe you shouldn't stress it so much—"

"But it can't be delayed!" he cries, turning back to the clone. "If I don't do whatever I was supposed to, something bad will happen. I _feel_ it; don't you?"

"Yes honey, I sense it. Perhaps—"

"Gah! This is going to eat me alive!" he interrupts. "If only I'd remembered correctly; this wouldn't be happening otherwise—"

Duna quickly grabs his hand, and instantly his anxiety fades. He sucks in a deep breath, then glances in her direction.

"You wouldn't happen to know what I need to do, would you?"

She returns his earlier smile. "I do."

His eyes light up, and he instantly begins to plead, "Please, you have to tell me!"

Duna chuckles, leading him around to face the clone. "Just take his hand."

"That's it?" he asks incredulously, gazing over at the smaller woman that says something nervously to her quadruped friend.

"That's it," she repeats releasing him. "You might want to hurry; the others are getting nervous."

He nods, bending down and stretching out a hesitant hand. After a second, he touches the upturned palm and instantly disappears.

"Goodbye, my Artemis," Duna whispers as the wind pulls all his prized petals into the air.

**^. ^**

**seri21: **Sorry it took so long, but here it is! And thank you bunches for being the first reviewer!

**Forever Day: **Yeah, I usually write between one and three thousand words, or I end it where it sounds best. I hope the beginning A/N explained Duna, and I hope you continue to like!

**Tawny: **Ya, you found me again! And you brought questions! Well, only one, and I hope the A/N answered it for ya! And now that you're here, I _know_ it'll be great!

**Mrastleysghost: **I don't watch _Sherlock,_ but I have seen _Elementary, _which is a Sherlock-type-ish show. And as for a crossover...I think on it. I think I know why you found the first chapter confusing, and I'll try to clear it up right now!  
Okay, so the first chapter took place a couple of weeks after Artemis died, and he's watching is own funeral alongside Duna, the Goddess that Opal awoke and tried to get to destroy the human race. The chapter you just read happened about a couple of months after _that_, and this is were we really see his memories disappearing. Hope that cleared everything up!

**MerlinOni: **Thank you, and I sure will!


	3. Welcome Back

**Hey, 'sup!? Well, for me, it's a new chapter! Yeah! Oh, and to avoid confusion, I've left out Holly doing CPR and what-not. Instead, this is where he wakes up in his room. And this chapter marks the beginning of AxH! Other than that, not a lot of action, but the big surprise comes next time!**

**DISCLAIMER: Um...no. Not on Shadow Elf, not on Life Sucks, and not here. Sorry.**

_Ugh._

Everything _hurts._ Why is it so _painful_?

He groans, trying to shift his head to the other side. But it takes a millisecond for the command to travel down his spinal column; unnecessarily frustrating him. Everything happened instantly back when he had no body; so much to the point where he didn't even _need_ to think about what he was doing. It just _happened._

But now he has to wait for his brain to send the message to the muscles, then those cells have to flex together to follow through with the order. And that takes _too long_.

Grinding his teeth to try and suppress his annoyance, he forces his lids to open. Thankfully, someone had the intelligence to leave the blinds closed; but enough light seeps in through the cracks for sight.

And that's _another_ thing he'll need to get used to: blindness in the dark. God, having a body _sucks._

But at least he's alive.

Struggling into the sitting position, he pants heavily as he looks around his familiar-unfamiliar surroundings. The bed he lies in is _huge_, definitely a king-something. The sheets are most certainly silk; or something close to it, and a deep, rich black. He ghosts his finger tips over the surface, revealing in the smoothness of it. Guess touch is _one_ perk…

Wanting to feel more, he grasps the cloth and tosses it off him. Shifting so that his feet hang over the edge, he threads his toes into the thick rug; smiling slightly at the new sensation. A new urge overcomes rational thought, and he braces his legs so he can stand.

His door is suddenly thrown open, and he flinches as more light pours in. Squinting, he stares at the shorter newcomer, unable to tell who it is due to the shadows masking their features.

"Artemis!" a female voice cries as the being scrambles into the room and grasps his arm. "You shouldn't be moving around so much! D'Arvit, you shouldn't even be awake!"

His vision having finally adjusted, he stares into the heterochromatic, bloodshot eyes of the elf before him.

"Holly…" he breathes, bringing his left hand (the steady hand) up to cup her cheek. Her eyes widen slightly, and without breaking his gaze slowly leans toward her to rest his forehead against hers.

He releases a shaky sigh, his skin alight where it touches her. His eyes slip closed as he slides his hand behind her neck and brings his other arm up to wrap around her; crushing her to him.

"Thank you," he rasps quietly, well aware of how sensitive her ears are. A hiccup escapes her throat, and she shifts to bury her face in the crook of his neck. Her slim fingers knot into his shirt as her shoulders begin to quake with restrained sobs.

"D-don't _ever_ d-do that a-a_-_again," she gasps as the tears begin to fall. His own eyes prick and begin to leak as he rubs small circles on her back; gently swaying as he takes in the scent of her shampoo.

Unnoticed by the duo, Butler watches from the hall with his own sad smile. He hadn't let himself hope (or relax) for the past six months, but now that Artemis is back, _for sure_…well, even people like him have emotions.

"We should probably leave them alone," Mulch sniffles from beside him, and Foaly nods as he whips at the tear tracks staining his face.

"Yeah, they'll be like that for awhile. Frond's beard Holly, you couldn't have waited for the rest of us to say 'hey' before you go and steal him?"

Butler chuckles weakly. "No, I don't think she could've."

* * *

It took nearly twenty minutes for Holly to run out of tears, and then she spent another half of that time chewing out her human friend. He apologized profusely, and more than a few times in her language. After another speech of derogatory remarks aimed at himself, she finally seemed appeased and lapsed into silence; sitting contently in his lap and leaning against his chest while stroking the lines on his palm.

"Holly?" he ventures after a few minutes. "What does my family know of this, if at all?"

Her fingers pause, and she sighs. "They know we were trying something, but…I think they gave up a few months ago."

He nods, bumping the top of her head with his chin. "And where are they now?"

"The zoo. Beckett wanted to go see the 'big, hairy monkeys'."

Artemis chuckles. "He hasn't changed a bit."

Holly's quite laughter joins his. "Neither of them have."

Another pause in the conversation descends, but Artemis breaks it again.

"I want to see it; before they return."

She frowns, looking up at him. "See what?"

"My grave."

His resolute eyes glance down, burning into hers. She cracks a smile, sighing as she drops her head.

"You know, you're still as stubborn as before."

He rolls his eyes, squeezing her once before shifting her onto the bed.

"You have no idea," he replies as he stands, heading for his closet.

* * *

Dressed in one of his more casual suits, he walks in shorted strides so to remains by the fairy's side. As they start to crest the last hill, he freezes; his hand pulling free from her light grip.

"Artemis…?" she asks, worry lacing her voice.

The wind musses their hair, and his eyes glaze over as he says, "I stood right here. I stood here and watched it happen."

Confusion furrows her brows before it clears and her eyes widen. "You…you remember things from when you were a ghost?"

He blinks slowly. "…Yeah. It's mostly in bits and pieces, but the earliest ones remain mostly intact…"

The wind streams against them again, and he shakes his head to clear his mind.

"But their quite foggy. There's really only one thing perfectly clear, and it's her voice…"

"There was someone else? What did she look like?"

Artemis tilts his head, frowning. "I can't really remember…all I know is she was beautiful and reminded me a lot of you."

Holly starts, then a faint blush creeps up her neck. "We'd better hurry if you want to meet your family when they get home."

He nods, leading the rest of the way. He appears calm, stepping right up to the headstone and squatting before it. He traces his name as well as the dates, but pauses at the eulogy:

_No one in death can match his greatness._

"Who wrote this?" he asks, turning his head to gaze at her over his shoulder.

"I'm…not sure. I want to say it was Butler, but…"

He hums slightly, turning back to it. A natural stillness envelopes them before he stands, fully facing her with a soft smile.

"We should head back; it is a bit of a walk."

She nods, pivoting on her heel. He quickly catches up to her side, gently grabbing her hand and keeping laced with his the entire way.

* * *

"When are they due to return?" he glances behind him at Butler, who shrugs.

"Madame Fowl didn't give an exact time, but they've been gone for nearly three hours now so—"

An engine revving silences him, and several muffled, gleeful voices reach their ears. Artemis straightens his back, clearing his eyes of emotion as the door bursts open. Myles and Beckett lead the way, smacking each other with long, stuffed snakes. They instantly freeze as the somberness of the room alerts their senses. Their mother quickly follows, also stilling as she steps over the threshold. Her eyes settle on Artemis, and she gasps, covering her mouth with her hand.

Her eldest son smiles neutrally, standing. "Good evening Mum. I pray you had a lovely day out?"

"Brother!" the twins shout, launching themselves at him. He stumbles back a step, and would've fallen back into his chair if Butler hadn't steadied him.

"Myles, Beckett, what are you—" Artemis Fowl senior begins to ask, but stops as he, too, sees what the rest of his family has spotted. His wife sways forward dangerously, and he catches her.

"Artemis…?" he breathes, eyes wide.

He nods. "It is I, Father."

"My baby!" Angeline wails, stumbling to him and embracing him tightly. His eyes widen, but after only a seconds hesitation he wraps his arms around her. She sobs loudly, petting his hair and blubbering something none of them can understand.

Artemis closes his eyes, pressing his face into her shoulder and allows himself to weep for the second time that day.

**^ . ^**

**Eldewind Dolly: **Oh, don't worry; I didn't really like the ending either. I wanted some AxH action! And I'm deeply honored that mine-_mine!-_ is the first post-TLG that you've read, and I'm happy to realize that you seem to be liking it! And I didn't put much info on Duna in the first few chapters is because...well~, there's a surprise coming! And I really don't want to ruin it! But I promise in the future there will be more stuff on her, and thanks for stopping by!

**kellycat77: **Thanks so much, but don't be afraid to ask questions! I want you to understand everything so this is more enjoyable!

**Tawny: **Yeah, I thought people would like that obvious statement coming from Artemis! And no prob, never be afraid to voice your confusion!

**Guest 6/9/13: **Aww, thank you! I try my hardest to catch mistakes, but it's usually the day after when I'm just reading through the preview that I find all the stupid errors!

**sexxicosmologist: **The _best?!_ !~! Thank you so much!

**blackkyu: **Thank you; it's been in my head for a bit.


	4. Something's Off

**Okay, so here's the new chapter! Stuff starts to pick up a bit after this, so buckle up!**

**DISCLAIMER: Nope.**

"How?"

It's the first question out of Angeline Fowl's mouth once she regained enough of her bodily functions to speak. She had all but dragged her newly-revived son to the couch, pushing him down and taking up the position on his left. Her husband had sat beside her while the twins clambered into his lap.

"Cloning," Artemis easily replies. "I gave the People enough of my DNA to create one and when the body matured to about the age I had been, they brought it here for my soul to…settle into."

His father nods slowly. "I understand that. What I'm not following is how you died in the first place."

"Ah…that is a bit more difficult to explain. Essentially a sort of Armageddon was opened beneath our home, and to stop it I had to distract the person responsible while a friend of mine closed the gate. But because of the eye-switching incident my soul, along with some others, was pulled into the beyond. Though I had enough human to outweigh the call; so I remained 'alive' as a free-floating spirit."

Artemis senior frowns. "And how did we not know of this…?"

The younger sighs; briefly closing his eyes. "Which part? The revival plan or the attempted wipe-out of the human species?"

"The revival!" Angeline snaps. "Not only are we your parents, but we _buried_ you! You are legally _dead_! Have been for six months!"

Her son relaxes against the back of the couch, fatigue beginning to creep up on him. "I would've directed Butler or Holly to inform you; but I myself didn't know if it would work. I didn't want to give you false hope."

"Oh, so _now_ you're considerate! Why didn't you think to do something like this when you went into limbo for _three years?_" Her voice breaks at the end; the sharp tone digging into her eldest child's heart.

"Because I'd had no idea I was going to be gone for that long," he replies slowly, levelly; freezing exterior rising to shield his metaphorical wounds. "And what does that have anything to do with the current topic?"

"Everything! You keep disappearing, leaving us to wait for your return; wondering if it'll even happen or if this is that _one_ scenario that you _can't_ _beat!_"

A pregnant silence follows, and even Beckett senses the absolute stillness emitting from his oldest brother. The change in the mood also seems to finally reach the lady of the house, and her angry, pained gaze drops away to be replaced by one of shock. She silently watches as Artemis maneuvers the twins down onto the floor and stands.

"I'm sorry to cut short our reunion, but my stamina is not where it once was," he apologizes sincerely. "I must bid you good night; though perhaps we may continue this tomorrow?"

"Good night? But I don' _wanna _s'eep!" Beckett cries, latching on to Artemis' pants leg.

Myles rolls his eyes. "Simple-toon, we're not goin' to s'eep; Brother is."

The blonde blinks slowly, drawing his brows together. "But…it's _early!_"

"And I'm tired. I just returned from a long trip and need to rest." He smiles down at the boy, gently prying away his arms. "But I'll see you in the morning."

The other frowns. "Promise?" he asks, holding out his pinkie finger.

Artemis wraps his own around the smaller digit, squeezing lightly. "Promise."

* * *

Holly's eyes flash open, and she quells the want to turn over and look at the time. Her ears twitch, and the magic flowing through her body sings as another, stronger, presence caresses it.

Straining her senses to try and pinpoint its location, her gut both relaxes and knots itself tighter as she realizes it's on her floor; but coming from the direction of the Fowls' quarters.

Slipping out of bed, she quietly creeps into the hall. Gliding past Butler's door; she's about to shift past Artemis' when she pauses.

It's coming from _his_ room.

Panic shoots through her system, and it takes all her might not to burst in there and attack whoever's with him. Horrible scenarios pass through her mind in seconds, each one worse than the last. She begins to shake; muscles freezing him place as her heart beats erratically. Black spots flicker across her vision as she hyperventilates.

_I won't lose him again._

The thought breaks through her terror, and she gulps in oxygen to stop her shivering. Leaning against the door, she presses her ear to it and listens intently.

The only thing she manages to catch is the soft sighing as Artemis exhales; so if anyone's in there they're being perfectly silent.

Softly turning the knob, she slinks into the darkness and crouches down to wait for her eyesight to adjust. Once it does, she scans the room for anything unusual or misplaced, but can't spot anything. Ghosting to the on suite bathroom, she clears that area too before returning and checking out the closet.

The only abnormal thing there is the lack of normal clothes, but still no uber-powerful being lurking in the shadows. Annoyance starting to bleed over her cautiousness; it takes Butler placing a hand on her small shoulder to alert her of his presence.

She slams a hand over her mouth to muffle her shriek, and she glares at the large mud man.

"What was that for?!" she hisses.

"What are you doing in here?" he rumbles, crossing his bare arms over his tight black shirt.

"I sense something," she huffs, and at his raised eyebrow elaborates, "Magic wise. Something _really_ strong is hiding in here somewhere."

He shakes his head. "Impossible. I turned on the alarm when Artemis turned in. Nothing has entered or left this room since."

Holly frowns. "Then it must've come in on him."

Butler sighs, but doesn't stop her as she strides to the bedside. Artemis lies on his side in the middle of the mostly undisturbed sheets, his left arm curled under the pillow while the right lies folded near his body. His obsidian hair blends in with the bed; uncombed and falling into his pale, peaceful face. The hard line of his mouth is relaxed; lips parted slightly as he breathes deep and even.

Crawling carefully onto the mattress, she pauses as she kneels next to him.

_Any second now he's going to wake up…_she grumbles to herself as brushes away his bangs. Slowly leaning forward, she rests her forehead against his; not unlike he had that afternoon.

Her eyes drifting closed; she softly sends a magic wave into his resting mind.

Gasping, she leaps backwards; so fast that she tumbles off the bed.

"Holly, are you—" Butler begins, but she cuts him off sharply.

"It's coming from him. _He's_ got the magic."

**O_O**

**ArtemisxHolly159: **Wow, really? I'm honored that you think that, and I hope I continue to live up to your standard!

**XFireSermonX: **Thanks! I hope you enjoy this too!

**meep fanmeepster: **I love your name! Anyway, thank you and I sure will!

**chukaliteluvver: **Omg, I adore chocolate too (and that's a cool way to spell it!)! And your picture is the most adorable thing I've ever seen! And yes, Artemis is quite a stick in the mud; even after dying.

**Tawny: **Of course! Who doesn't ship them together?! And I hope you liked this too!

**atlis: **:) I'm so glad I keep drawing people in! Good thing you didn't have to wait that long, huh?


	5. Good Morning

**Okay...so here's where things pick up a bit (at least, I hope). Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: ...**

"What?" Butler deadpans.

Holly shakes her head, glancing at her snoozing friend. "I don't know how he did it, but he's got magic again. _Strong_ magic, and plenty of it."

The man frowns, turning as well to face his young priority. "Are you sure?"

Holly glares at the man, and he sighs.

"Fine. But who could he have gotten it from? You're the only one he's been around that has enough to give away."

The elf bites her lip, murmuring, "I'm not so sure. When I took him to his grave, he said he watched the funeral with someone. He doesn't remember her name or appearance, but he knows he had company."

"You think it's another spirit?"

The fairy nods. "It _is _possible; there were female Berserkers…"

"But they would've been taken to the afterlife, being completely of fairy-blood," Butler points out.

"Must you point out all the flaws?"

"Seeing as I don't get much of a chance with Artemis…yes."

"Well then, who do _you _think gave him that magic? And don't say me; I'm neither old enough nor empty."

The bodyguard frowns, meticulously thinking this through. "Perhaps…the cloned body was infused with magic during the growing period in Haven."

"Not possible. Nopal didn't have magic and if the body did, I would've sensed it before now."

"But you weren't aware of the magic until now. What about the hours when he was awake?"

Holly growls low in her throat, stomping her foot. "I don't know! All I feel is magic pouring off him in tsunamis! I'm almost shocked that you can't feel it!"

"Would Foaly and Mulch be alert to this?"

"If Mulch wasn't…Mulch, and still had his magic, I'm sure he'd be up here with me. Centaurs are the lowest in magic abilities, but I'd be willing to bet Foaly would at least be uncomfortable in its presence."

"Uncomfortable? Is there that much?"

Holly worries her lip, lacking the words to explain. "Well, yes, but that's not what makes my skin crawl. It's just the…_power_ behind it. Kind of feels like that barrier that trapped Artemis except magnified."

Butler sighs. "Can it please just be a side effect of his soul settling into the body?"

The elf shakes her head. "Like you said; I would've sensed it before now."

The man palms his face, and Holly has the suspicion he's holding back a groan.

"Why does everything have to be so complicated when it comes to him?"

Holly shrugs. "Because it's Artemis; the gods have too much fun messing with him."

Butler lowers his hand to stare at his principal. "I'd bet he started it."

"I wouldn't be surprised."

* * *

Holly plops into one of the dining room chairs, massaging her temples and trying to re-awaken enough to ask for a cup of coffee. And boy does she need it.

After she had left Artemis' room around one and returned to her own, she found that as long as his magic kept pulsating against hers, sleep would refuse to accept her back.

And an elf minus her rest equals a thin temper. A _very_ thin temper.

On the plus side, Foaly and Mulch appeared to have had just as unpleasant a night that she'd struggled through. At least, that's the only explanation she found for why they stumbled down the stairs together.

And her theory is supported as soon as the quadruped opens his mouth to whine,

"I had the _worst_ night's sleep! I kept waking up every other hour!"

"Oh yeah?" Mulch challenges, red eyes bleary. "Try every _half_ hour."

"You two think you had it bad? I didn't get any sleep," Holly easily trumps them all, wincing as her headache spikes.

"How do you all like your coffee?" Angeline asks politely, already pouring five mugs.

"Black," is the unanimous response.

A deep chuckle sounds behind them, and they're saved from craning their necks when the person speaks.

"People after my own heart," Artemis Senior laughs, taking the cup offered to him. "Thanks darling."

"Did you wake the twins?"

"Actually, no. They got up on their own and are attempting to raise their brother as we speak."

"Good luck with that," Butler mutters, taking a sip of his own brew.

"Why?" Mulch intones, staring dreamily into his drink.

"That boy slept like the dead before…the incident, and now I won't be surprised if he snoozes right through the day," the man of the house chuckles again, but stops as a shout and a crash resound through the manor.

"That didn't sound good," Foaly says, following the Fowls as they dash after Butler up the stairs. The group pauses outside the only open door, peering into Artemis' room with slack jaws.

One of the bullet-proof windows appears to have been shattered; the thick shards littering the bed and around the floor. On the mattress, Artemis holds both his shaking siblings close to his chest; his back to the damaged window.

"Good morning Mother, Father," he says, a tense smile decorating his face. "I hope we didn't wake you?"

"What happened in here?" Angeline whispers, gripping the hand her husband is using to stop her from entering the room.

"We 'ere j-jumpin' on Brother's bed, t-trying to wake him up," Beckett supplies, voice shaking.

"And then Brother sh-shouted and grabbed us and th-the window went _boom_!" Myles continues.

"Artemis, is anyone hurt?" Butler asks, edging into the room.

"No, the twins are fine."

"And yourself?"

"I may have a sliver or two digging into my back, but nothing major. You'll want to get a broom before you move any closer. That, and maybe your gun."

"Already have the latter, but what am I shooting?"

"Whatever broke through the window is on the floor over there." Artemis flicks his eyes over to the other side of the bed. "I haven't heard it move since it arrived, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Holly?" he calls, raising his voice slightly.

"Yes?" she answers, and his parents make way for her to stand by the door.

"You have a pair wings, correct?"

"Yeah…"

"Can you use them to lift the twins out?"

"Sure; be right back."

After she'd carried Beckett and Myles out of the glass-infested room, she'd kept the flying device on to help Butler remove the comforter and the sheet beneath; trapping most of the glass that had found its way onto the bed. Next they swept a path to the door for Artemis to safely leave, and after one glance at the bloodied fitted sheet Butler had demanded that he tend to his young master's wounds.

Artemis simply rolled his eyes, making his way to the living room while his protector dug up the necessary materials. Laying a towel down on the long couch, Butler ordered his principal to remove his shirt and settle on his stomach.

The rest of the family as well as the three mythical guests used the excuse of breakfast to give the heir privacy. But the beginning meal can only last so long, and fifteen minutes later everyone found themselves gathered in the great room, listening to the two bicker.

"This is more than 'a sliver or two'," Butler reprimands, using the thin tweezers to pry another shard from its resting place. Dropping it into the bowl with a sharp _plink_, he reaches for the cotton ball soaked in medical alcohol.

"Do you think I am unaware of this?" the teen retorts, hissing as the laceration stings.

"Artemis, when I ask for the extent of your wounds I expect a truthful answer; not a lie."

"I did not _lie_; I merely downplayed the severity to spare you from pushing aside logical thought."

"Oh? And how would I do that?"

"This is one of those moments I wish I had a recorder," Foaly says, a smile on his face as he watches the two humans.

Mulch nods. "We'd make millions selling the copies."

"Who said anything about a 'we'?"

"Me."

"And what makes you think—"

"Damn it, how much deeper can you dig?!" Artemis curses, redrawing the fairies' attention.

"All the glass must be removed; unless you'd prefer to fight an infection?" Butler responds calmly, firmly holding down the other's shoulder. "If you relax it won't be so painful."

"For some reason I doubt that."

"I'm sorry, but it's not my fault—"

A screech cuts off the bodyguard, and he ducks to avoid a flying brown mass aimed to decapitate him. It quickly whirls around, forcing the Eurasian to dive between the couch and the chair he'd formerly been using.

Artemis freezes, unsure if he should stay put or join his friend on the ground. Experience tells him the floor would be safer, but the problem is getting there. Moving might attract the attention of whatever's attacking, and right now he's not in—

His decision is made for him when something lands solidly on his neck, pressing his forehead against the arm of the sofa. Talons wrap around his throat securely while another set occupies the space between his shoulder blades. Barely daring to breathe; he forces himself to relax despite another high-pitched scream that comes from above him.

"What _is_ that?"

**O.O"**

**ATTENTION: I WILL BE GONE JULY 10-17. THERE WILL BE NO INTERNET, SO THIS MIGHT BE THE LAST POST BEFORE THEN (BUT I HOPE NOT). WHEN I GET BACK, IF I FIND A LOT OF YOU GIVE ME SHIT FOR BEING ABSENT, EXPECT NO POSTS FOR TWO WEEKS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Thanks~!**

**Kellycat77: **YOU DIDN'T SAY IT! THE WORLD'S GOING TO END!

**AwesomeWierdo: **I love your name, and there should be more of you out there, da? And yes, Fowl plus magic = fun times!

**jesshoe: **Thank you! I'm glad my style is something you like!

**meep fanmeepster: **Life Sucks is the other one, and I will never forget either of these! Just like I'm totally not forgetting the sequel to Shadow Elf...I should get on that...

**the minecraftian: **Mine Craft fan! My cousin tried to get me into that but then I realized it costs money and was like 'NOPE!' Anyway, here's a new chapter!

**kittykat: **I can't be the best! That's just not possible~! But I want to thank you loads for the super compliment!

**Tawny: **LOL, thank for the compliments (both of them ;)) But no, my name stands for Insanity For The Sane. But your guess, by far, was the most awesome!

**Guest 6/23/13: **Thank you for the love, and here's a new chapter!

**Shadow914: **Ya! I got one! Between you and me, I hope to make it better!

**atlis: **Yup! With the luck Artemis has, of course being dead for six months would have repercussions! A little longer wait this time, but once a week updates are about all I can fit in. Life, why you get in way?!

**DeuceExMachina: **Ohhh, you're a good guess-er! One of those answers is correct, and for the time being I won't tell you! It'll ruin the surprise!


	6. I See

**Ugh. This chapter was a bit on the difficult side to write (I HATE writer's block...). So, sorry for the overall shittyness of it...argh, can I die now?**

**DISCLAIMER: Uh, if I owned AF, do you think the series would be finished? No, didn't think so...**

"Well? What is it?" Mulch repeats.

"I…" Foaly trails off. "Holly?"

"Don't look at me," she replies weakly. "You're the genius, answer his question."

"Well, technically Artemis is smarter than me—"

"Kitty!" Beckett practically squeals, and his trapped brother frowns royally.

_I knew he was thick, but…this is too much._

For whatever 'it' is, the eldest knows that cats don't have talons. Thus, no cat is standing over his head growling menacingly.

"That is _not_ a cat," Holly contradicts, and the warning sounds coming from the beast lessen enough that he knows the elf stopped his sibling from doing anything rash.

At least _two_ of them are sensible. Know there's only one more to worry about…

"I don't care what it is," Butler snaps. "I only want to know that if I shoot it will it die?"

_Oh no._

"Uh…maybe?"

_Holly! Don't encourage him!_

"Good enough for me."

Before Artemis could take his next breath, an earsplitting _bang_ nearly drowns out the agonized screech of whatever's above him as it releases its grip and falls behind the couch. In the next instant, he is pulled up and away by large hands and released only when the entire room is between him and it.

"Are you all right?" Butler asks, glancing behind him at the teen.

Artemis nods once. "I'm fine. Nice shot."

The older smirks, holstering his weapon. "Since when am I not?"

"Touché," Artemis admits with a faint smile. His bodyguard moves forward, obviously intent on cleaning up the mess before the blood stains. But Artemis freezes, eyes snapping over to where the animal lays and snaring the Eurasian's elbow.

"It's not dead," he says in explanation before the other can ask.

"Artemis, the bullet went through its brain; there's no way it could've survived."

"That may be true, but that doesn't change the fact that it's not dead."

"How can you tell? You haven't seen it so—" Foaly begins, but the human stiffly cuts in.

"It. Is. Not. Dead." Ice blue cracks down on gold and the centaur snorts, shuffling his hooves as goose bumps break out over his flesh. Before he can come up with a sarcastic retort though, a familiar shriek startles all but the one that told them of its survival.

Leaping over the furniture, it slams into Foaly, clinging to the quadruped's face as he screams and tries to pull it off. Angeline and her husband each scoop up one of the twins, clutching them close so to avoid the terrified fairy's feet. Butler shoves his principal behind him, drawing his gun simultaneously but not firing.

Artemis clenches his jaw, eyes slipping shut as he brings his hands up to massage his temples. _It is much too early for this…_

Something shatters, and his last thread of patience snaps with it.

"Silence!" he thunders, getting the desired result immediately. Moving out from behind his human shield, he frowns at them all before glaring at one in particular.

And it stares right back.

Still hanging on tightly to Foaly's facial hair, the cause of it all blinks its burgundy eyes curiously at the heir. Set within a triangular face atop a long, arching neck; the puppy dog effect is damped slightly by the overall lack of fur. But the dirt covering its thin body does help.

"You," Artemis calls coolly. "Come."

With one last snip at the computer specialist, it drops to the floor. Head held high, it fluidly trots after the teen as he turns on his heel and exits the room, leaving several gapping mouths behind.

"What…just happened?" Mulch asks after a moment.

Holly bites her lip. "I'm not entirely sure…but I think my theory just gained some solidity."

"What theory?" Foaly pips up, still a bit pale.

"I'll tell you later."

"I think the real question is whether Artemis should be alone with that thing," Butler rumbles, staring after his charge.

Mulch shrugs. "It listened to him, so I guess it's okay…"

"Why does brother get a kitty?" Beckett whines to his parents which Myles seconds. Their parents quietly shush them, moving back to the kitchen to probably explain.

"That's another thing," Holly says. "I don't know about you guys, but what I saw was in no way related to _anything _feline."

"If it belongs to any family, it was reptilian," Foaly supplies, shuddering.

"For once, I agree with the pony," the dwarf puts his two cents in.

"Butler, what'd you see?" Holly inquires, and he shakes his head.

"I don't know. Most of the time I just saw a scrawny cat, but every once and awhile I saw something…different."

The elf frowns. "I wonder what Artemis sees."

"I see a dragon."

Dressed in a casual suit of dark grey accented with a blood red tie, he appears much more relaxed than he should be, seeing as the so called 'dragon' is now clean and draped around his shoulders.

"Impossible. Dragons went extinct _ages_ ago," Foaly scoffs.

Artemis raises an eyebrow. "This coming from the centaur that miscounted how many Kraken were alive?"

The fairy crosses his arms huffily, muttering something most likely not meant to be repeated.

"Well, if it's a dragon, then where are its wings?" he finally challenges.

"Dragons aren't necessarily known for their wings. In Chinese legend, the dragon—"

"We believe you; there's no need to go into a lesson about it," Holly quickly interrupts. "But, for argument's sake, why do think that's what it is?"

Artemis frowns slightly, absentmindedly raising his hand to stroke the beast's head. "For once I don't have a logical answer. Calling it 'dragon' just feels like the correct term.

"Well this is a first, a Fowl trusting their instincts!" Mulch chortles. "Wish I had a camera."

A snarl rips through the air, startling the dirt eater and causing the teen to smile in triumph.

"I'd be careful if I were you," Artemis says calmly, tapping the animal's black snout. "He's about as defensive as Butler."

The bodyguard raises an eyebrow. "Can he stay?"

A chuckle escapes his lips, and the settles back down. "Talk to my father about that one."

"I don't know…" Foaly says uneasily. "I'm not sure you should keep it around. Frond knows where it came from, or even _why_ it came."

"Well that's an easy one," Holly mutters. "It came because Artemis called it."

"What?!"

**=.="**

**Shadow914: **Oh yeah, I can try. Not sure if it'll work (I pretty sure it will), but whatever.

**Pickl3lily: **At least this doesn't do major damage like drugs! Well, I mean, Fangirling can become a problem, but who fangirls over this?

**meep fanmeepster: **Teeheehee! I'm so evil, dropping a cliffy like that and then going on vacation!

**sheepster22: **Oh, I betcha you can! You can do anything if you put your mind to it!

**Tawny: **Thanks for the well wishes, and I'm back! And thanks for everything! I could seriously get nothing done without reviewers like you!

**Archadian07: **Thanks! And hell yeah; his previous adventures are noting compared to this!

**jesshoe: **Sorry it took awhile, but here she is!

**Firehedgehog: **I seem to see you everywhere, Da? Well, that's good for me! Anyway, I know everyone hates cliffhangers, but I couldn't resist!

**atlis: **Oh, but is it really a bird? IS IT?!

**Guest 7/2/13: **And I love you back! Sorry about going on vaca, if I had a laptop (HINT HINT PARENTS) I'd have updated but...:(

**AwsomeWierdo: **I am? I'm guessing they spell your name with the 'e' in 'aw**e**some'. Anyway, glad I got it right!

**DeuceExMachina:** O.O You are a genius. The only person to guess correctly! Everyone else was all like 'What is IT?" Kudos to you!

**Una: **Uh...because it attracts readers? And is it really interesting? I literally just wanted to mess around with the series a bit more...


	7. What He Said

**I love all of you. So. Much. All the support I got helped me rid myself of Writer's Block and actually wake my muse to plan the next few chapters! Thank you all so much!**

**DISCLAIMER: Nope. You wish, I wish, and everyone's heart gets broken.**

Holly captures her lip between her teeth, internally cursing. "I said that out loud?"

"Indeed, and an explanation would be much appreciated," Artemis intones, staring her down with emotionless eyes.

The elf sighs, knowing she won't win this fight. Besides, it would've come out eventually, right?

"All right, I'd better start from the beginning. Last night I slept like crap," she begins, watching Foaly and Mulch's reactions. They nod, glancing at each other before switching back to her. "And it wasn't because I stressed or anything; in fact I was so relieved that Artemis' plan worked I dropped like a rock the instant my head hit the pillow.

"But sometime after that, I want to say around eleven, my magic was attracted to a…nearby source. A very old, very powerful supply of magic had settled within the manor, and thinking nothing but the safety of those sleeping, I went to investigate."

She pauses, watching the raven haired teen's reactions closely. "It was coming from your room…more specifically you."

His face remains impassive, mind quickly processing all information.

"Impossible," he finally deduces. But before she can argue her case, he presents his own. "First, where would I have gotten the magic? Nopal had none, which stands to reason that, if by some miracle I do, it didn't come from the cloning process. And I don't, because if I had magic the wounds inflicted from the glass would've healed almost instantly. Also, what does that have anything to do with 'calling' the dragon here?"

"It has everything to do with why it's here!" Holly snaps, detesting the way he tore down her theory with little effort on his part. "You may not have noticed, but I did. When did the dragon first come to your defense?"

"When the twins were jumping on his bed," Mulch answers slowly.

"And the second time?" she presses on.

"When I was removing the shards from his back," Butler supplies.

"There you go." The elf throws her hands up in enlightenment, though most of the room still wears a mask of confusion.

"But…what about when it attacked me?" Foaly asks.

"I recall you and I were debating on his state of life," Artemis drones. "But I—"

"See!" the fairy interrupts. "How did you know it wasn't dead? And why did it listen to you when you commanded it to follow?"

"Why do _you all_ listen to me?" he counters

"Because you'll sic Butler on us if we don't?" Mulch tries.

"Because you know what's best," the bodyguard corrects.

"Precisely. And as an animal he sensed that I was the alpha and acted accordingly."

"That still doesn't explain how you knew it wasn't dead," Holly reminds him.

He frowns, eyes turning inward to try and find the solution.

"You knew it wasn't dead because your magic told you so," the red head explains calmly after several beats of silence.

Artemis sighs heavily. "I don't have magic."

"You do!"

"Why are you so sure about this?"

"Because I checked!" He cocks an eyebrow and she points furiously at his guard. "Ask Butler, he was there!"

The genius turns to the only other human in the room, who nods once. "She tumbled off the bed she was so shocked."

Artemis frowns, adding the new piece of evidence to the bits in his mind. "Could you have been mistaken?"

Holly rolls her eyes. "No, not in a million years. I'd do it again if it proves it to you."

The heir shrugs. "Fine."

The elf blanches. "What?"

"I said 'fine', as in 'go for it'."

"Really? You sure?" she asks, and he blinks at her. "All right, all right just uh…sit there," she directs, waving to the couch. He follows her instructions, settling near the edge as the dragon hops from his shoulders to the backrest and finally down to the actual seat; curling up near his right side and wrapping his thin, scaly tail around the mortal's wrist.

Holly eyes him warily before turning back to her friend. Placing a hand on his knee to balance herself, she leans forward to rest her forehead against his. Her eyes slips shut and his follow shortly after. Releasing a steady breath, she tentatively reaches out to probe his mind.

With a shared gasp they hastily break away, her hand flying to her forehead as his jaw locks. The little black monster snarls threateningly, but Artemis quickly hisses at him to stop; so he settles for glaring at the elf.

Forcing himself to relax, the teen roughly shakes his head before standing. Blinking to focus his eyes, he asks of no one, "What was _that?_"

"I believe that was a _rebuke_," Holly mutters from the floor, rolling her neck. "It happens when one magic-carrier tries to infiltrate the mind of another. The weaker of the two gets pushed out or invaded, quite forcefully, I might add. Lucky for me I broke the connection fast enough."

"That still doesn't explain what I felt," he groans, massaging his temples.

"You think you had it bad? That was just the backlash; I took the brunt of it," the fairy growls. "D'Arvit, I need some coffee."

"I second that," Artemis grumbles, helping her back to her feet at the same time Foaly asks, "So that means he's got fuel?"

"What do you think?" they both snap, stalking away to the kitchen. Artemis reaches the door first, pushing it open with a bit more force than necessary. Holly stomps after him, nearly stepping on the paws of the dragon as it weaves between her legs to catch up with his master.

"I think that certain some ones need to go back to sleep," Mulch huffs, crossing his arms.

"You better hope they didn't hear that," Butler says, weaving around them to follow his principle.

"Actually, I hope they did and take his wonderful advice," Foaly snips, clopping after the large man. "I mean, I'm pretty tired too but you don't see me acting like a drama queen."

**O-O"**

**Archandian07: **Thanks, but that last chapter...ugh, I shiver just thinking about it. But all these wonderful reviews helped me get up the guts to plan the next few chapters! And thank you so much for encouraging me with all the love and-  
Ugh, can I just give you a virtual hug? And don't thank me, it's all you readers that makes this possible!

**meep fanmeepster: **Thank you. So. Much! That is one of the biggest compliments I've ever received! Cookies for everyone!

**blackkyu: **Yeah, well I had to make it awesome. And what's better than a freaking DRAGON?

**Firehedgehog: **Aw, thank you! Any support makes this ten times easier! And I'm glad you're reading everything else, most people don't think to check on my profile to see if I have more stories in the archive...

**Alana O'Connor: **Sorry it's taken so long, but I finally managed to kick off the annoyance of Writer's Block!

**XFireSermonX: **Read and you'll find out! And thank you!

**Tawny: **Of course you helped! You read and review, nice reviews at that, and aforementioned reviews always make me smile! And cliffhangers are drawn to me like bees to honey...and I have to indulge them or they sting...

**the minecraftian: **Oh, I'm glad I managed to surprise you! I thought I might have a bit of trouble pulling something over you guys since we've all read AF and know his tricks...

**DeuceExMachina: **Yup, dragon is the word! And in the later chapters this little guy's going to be soooo cute!

**AwsomeWierdo: **Oh, yeah there's that too. Guess that's bad that I didn't notice that at first...anyway, glad I surprised you!

**Ajluv: **You haven't read the books?! Than what are you doing reading this? And, in my opinion, the books are better than this little thing I have here. If you have any questions about anything, you can PM me!


	8. I Apologize

**As you can probably see, this isn't a real chapter. Because of life (mainly school), I don't know when I'll be able to post new chapters. This DOES NOT mean I'm abandoning this story, I have too many ideas with where this can go, it just means that updates will be...wide-spread. So you can either stick with me until things settle down or you can take me and this fic off your watch list. The choice is up to you.**

**Thanks for all your support; I don't know what I did to deserve all of you wonderful readers!**

**Sincerely, **

** I.F.T.S**


End file.
